Identification of services containing the same or equivalent content

Abstract

Identification of services that carry the same or equivalent content. A reception apparatus includes circuitry configured receive first service information for a first service included in a first broadcast steam, and receive second service information for a second service included in a second broadcast stream. The first service is associated with a first virtual channel number and the second service is associated with a second virtual channel number. The circuitry is configured to determine whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as a service included in another broadcast stream based on the first service information. The first service information includes an identifier included in the second service information when the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A reception apparatus, comprising:
 circuitry configured to
 receive first service information for a first service included in a first broadcast stream, the first service being associated with a first virtual channel number; 
 receive second service information for a second service included in a second broadcast stream, the second service being associated with a second virtual channel number; 
 determine whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream based on the first service information, the first broadcast stream being transmitted according to a first broadcast standard and the second broadcast stream being transmitted according to a second broadcast standard, which is different from the first broadcast standard; and 
 in response to a determination that the first service contains the same programming content as the second service, select and output one of the first service and the second service. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first service information is included in the first broadcast stream, and 
 the second service information is included in the second broadcast stream. 
 
     
     
       3. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first service information includes a transport stream identifier of a broadcast emission carrying the second broadcast stream. 
     
     
       4. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
 receive a user input corresponding to a virtual channel selection, and 
 determine whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream based on the first service information and the second service information when a virtual channel corresponding to the virtual channel selection is associated with the first virtual channel number and the second virtual channel number. 
 
     
     
       5. The reception apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
 select the first service included in the first broadcast stream for display when the second service included in the second broadcast stream is determined to contain the same programming content as the first service included in the first broadcast stream and the second service is determined to be of a less advanced version than the first service. 
 
     
     
       6. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
 receive the first broadcast stream which is transmitted according to the first broadcast standard; and 
 receive the second broadcast stream which is transmitted according to the second broadcast standard, which is different from the first broadcast standard. 
 
     
     
       7. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
 extract the first service information from a service list table (SLT) included in the first broadcast stream, the SLT including information about each of the one or more services included in the broadcast stream, and 
 extract the second service information from Program Specific Information (PSI) included in the second broadcast stream. 
 
     
     
       8. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to
 extract the service information from service guide data included in the first broadcast stream, the service guide data including a description of the available services or content included in the first broadcast stream, and 
 extract the second service information from Program Specific Information (PSI) included in the second broadcast stream. 
 
     
     
       9. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display panel, wherein 
 the circuitry includes at least one digital television receiver that is configured to receive the first and second broadcast streams. 
 
     
     
       10. A method of a reception apparatus for identifying services containing the same programming content, the method comprising:
 receiving, by circuitry of the reception apparatus, first service information for a first service included in a first broadcast stream, the first service being associated with a first virtual channel number; 
 receiving, by the circuitry, second service information for a second service included in a second broadcast stream, the second service being associated with a second virtual channel number; 
 determining, by the circuitry, whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream based on the first service information, the first broadcast stream being transmitted according to a first broadcast standard and the second broadcast stream being transmitted according to a second broadcast standard, which is different from the first broadcast standard; 
 and 
 in response to a determination that the first service contains the same programming content as the second service, selecting and outputting one of the first service and the second service. 
 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the first service information is included in the first broadcast stream, and 
 the second service information is included in the second broadcast stream. 
 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the service information is a transport stream identifier of a broadcast emission carrying the second broadcast stream. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 receiving a user input corresponding to a virtual channel selection, wherein 
 the step of determining includes determining whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream based on the first service information and the second service information when a virtual channel corresponding to the virtual channel selection is associated with the first virtual channel number and the second virtual channel number. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 selecting the first service included in the first broadcast stream for display when the second service included in the second broadcast stream is determined to contain the same programming content as the first service included in the first broadcast stream and the second service is determined to be of a less advanced version than the first service. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the first broadcast stream is transmitted according to the first broadcast standard, and 
 the second broadcast stream is transmitted according to the second broadcast standard, which is different from the first broadcast standard. 
 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 extracting the first service information from a service list table (SLT) included in the first broadcast stream, the SLT including information about each of the one or more services included in the broadcast stream; and 
 extracting the second service information from Program Specific Information (PSI) included in the second broadcast stream. 
 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 extracting the service information from service guide data included in the first broadcast stream, the service guide data including a description of the available services or content included in the first broadcast stream; and 
 extracting the second service information from Program Specific Information (PSI) included in the second broadcast stream. 
 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for identifying services containing the same programming content, the method comprising:
 receiving first service information for a first service included in a first broadcast stream, the first service being associated with a first virtual channel number; 
 receiving second service information for a second service included in a second broadcast stream, the second service being associated with a second virtual channel number; 
 determining whether the first service included in the first broadcast stream contains the same programming content as the second service included in the second broadcast stream based on the first service information, the first broadcast stream being transmitted according to a first broadcast standard and the second broadcast stream being transmitted according to a second broadcast standard, which is different from the first broadcast standard; 
 and 
 in response to a determination that the first service contains the same programming content as the second service, selecting and outputting one of the first service and the second service. 
 
     
     
       19. The reception apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to select and output one of the first service and the second service having a higher signal to noise ratio.